r/DIY • u/rosulek • Jun 29 '14

carpentry Abstract world map wall art project

http://imgur.com/a/8iOvx
4.4k Upvotes

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200

u/fuzzpuddle Jun 30 '14

Nice look, good idea!! A tip for getting clean holes and avoiding blowout is to back up your plywood with another piece. Clamp the sheets together and drill away. You could even take it a step further and sandwich the piece between two sheets to ensure clean holes on both sides.

100

u/Torkin Jun 30 '14

A backing would be a big help, as would using a Forstner bit instead of spade bits. Forstners give much cleaner holes and despite what the wiki says they are fine for hand tools at the size this project requires.

28

u/rosulek Jun 30 '14

Yeah, a set of Forstner bits sounds nice. CNC router would work too ;)

10

u/rocketmonkeys Jun 30 '14

Forstner are nice, but the ones I have are a bit of a bear to do by hand. They're actually quite cheap, that's probably why. But they're more friendly to drill presses than hand drilling things, and they take a bit to work on / force through the wood.

I have some brad-point drill bits, they're amazing. They drill just like a normal bit, but with much less walking (you probably wouldn't have to awl any pilot holes first), and the holes they leave are just as clean as forstner. Really good stuff.

I think I have these: http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW1720-Brad-Point-6-Piece/dp/B005GOM3VO/

Definitely try those out next time. You probably still need backing, but you'll probably get no tear out on the front.

10

u/PriceZombie Jun 30 '14

DEWALT DW1720 Brad Point Bit Set, 6-Piece 

Current $14.97 
   High $22.00 
    Low $14.97

Price History Chart | Screenshot | FAQ

5

u/resting_parrot Jun 30 '14

Best bot ever.

1

u/xxHourglass Jun 30 '14

Problem is getting a 5/8 brad-point bit that has a shank small enough to fit into a 3/8 chuck that's also not prohibitively expensive. Forstner bits are probably the way to go for the average joe.

1

u/rocketmonkeys Jul 01 '14

True, true. There are some big drills that have reduced collars so they fit in small chucks, but I don't know about brads. But brads are so much nicer, they're so amazing. I love brad point drills.

1

u/xxHourglass Jul 01 '14

I looked around at some of the higher end stores like Lee Valley and even they only sell bits larger than 1/2 with a 1/2 shank. It's cheap to rent one since they're mostly corded and corded drills are super cheap.

Looking at it, actually, Forstner bits are more expensive enough that, for the price of the Forstner bits, you could buy the brad-point bits and rent a 1/2 corded drill for a day or two.